“My education at Delaware Tech lead me to where I am today,” said Cory Atkins, a 2008 graduate from the production agriculture program, and the recipient of the American Soybean Association (ASA)’s 2016 Conservation Legacy Award for the Northeast U.S. region.

After high school, Cory didn’t think college was right for him. “I grew up farming, and I had lots of opportunities already,” he said. “I didn’t think I needed to go to college, but I eventually decided that it would be good for me and would help me to become a better farmer.”

Cory started out in the agribusiness management program, but eventually switched to production agriculture. “Even though I ultimately decided that production agriculture was a better fit for me, I learned a lot in my agribusiness courses that has helped me become a better farmer” he said. “No matter what you’re studying in college, you will always get something out of it.”

The ASA’s Conservation Legacy Awards program is a national program designed to recognize the outstanding environmental and conservation achievement of soybean farmers, which helps produce more sustainable U.S. soybeans. “I never expected to win the award, but it was a great honor,” he said. He practices no-till farming, a type of farming that allows crops to be grown from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. His farm in Laurel runs almost entirely on solar energy. “We’re never finished when it comes to conservation,” he said. “There’s always something more you can do.”

Cory was an agriculture representative for Pictsweet from 2008 to 2013, and is now the owner and operator of Cory’s Produce, LLC in Laurel, De.

Find out more about Cory and his environmentally friendly farming practices by watching this video from the American Soybean Association’s YouTube channel.https://youtu.be/ZMTkvoigsl0